25. Gideon
25
Gideon
We were on our last day at the cabin when Wilma from the store showed up. She looked upset, and a sense of foreboding washed over me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Brenda is going to cause trouble,” Wilma said. “She claims Laney can’t be your wife because she still is.”
“That’s ridiculous. Brenda and I were married for one week until Grandpa went to court and got the marriage annulled. I didn’t even know she was still in the area.”
“Well, she’s been here for a couple of years, stirring up trouble. Do you have the annulment papers? You might need them.”
“Who’s Brenda?” Laney asked, walking outside.
“She’s someone I knew briefly when I was younger. We dated for a couple of months before I turned eighteen. The day I turned eighteen, we got married. Grandpa found out and had the marriage annulled. I was a stupid kid who let someone talk me into doing something dumb. Brenda was twenty-five. She was my first, and she could convince me to do just about anything—until I figured her out. I haven’t seen her since the annulment.”
“She’s telling everyone she’s still your wife,” Wilma said. “You might want to talk to her before you leave.”
“Is she as crazy as she used to be?”
“Worse. She has four kids and an older son who she claims is yours. I have to tell you Gideon—he looks just like you. Brenda stays at the bar until it closes, and the oldest boy watches the children. He’s not in school because he’s taking care of the babies,” Wilma explained.
“What?” I said, stunned. “Why didn’t she ever tell me I had a son? Did you say his name is Ryan?”
“Yes. Ryan. His grandparents raised him in Oregon. They were killed in an accident recently, and that’s when Brenda and the kids showed up here.”
“We have to bring him and the kids home with us,” Laney said immediately.
I hesitated. “Before we take Brenda’s word that Ryan is my son, I need to know the truth. So don’t start planning to take the other kids home with us. I doubt Brenda would allow that.”
“I’ll get my shoes, and we’ll figure out what’s going on together,” Laney said.
“Hang on, Laney. We need to take a deep breath, and when we go over there, we have to stay calm. I’ll grab the annulment papers and show them to Brenda so she stops spreading lies.”
“She lives on Planes Road, where her mother grew up. If I were you, I’d go early, before she starts drinking,” Wilma advised.
“I’ll go see her this morning,” I said.
“ We’ll go see her this morning,” Laney corrected. I knew she wouldn’t let me go alone. She wanted to see Ryan for herself. That’s one of the reasons I loved her. She was ready to take those kids into her arms and make them part of our family.
I smiled, my heart swelling with love for her. “Wilma, do you remember the little girl running for help?”
“Yes,” Wilma said softly. “I think of her all the time. How is she?”
“She’s great. Laney is her mother, and now she’s my wife. I got a wife and a daughter at the same time.”
“Well, now you might be getting a son,” Laney said with a determined smile. Wilma chuckled.
“Laney, when we get there, let me do the talking. We can’t just take her word that he’s my son.”
I was nervous about meeting Ryan. Laney, on the other hand, was excited. She put her arm around me as I drove, resting her head on my shoulder.
“Don’t be nervous,” she whispered. “If Ryan is your son, he’s my son too. We’ll make it right. I have a feeling we’re about to meet our boy.”
“I just wish I had more time to look into this,” I said. “I called Sean, and he’s checking things out for me.”
“Here it is,” I said, parking across the street. I didn’t want the kids to overhear our conversation. I needed answers first.
When we stepped onto the porch, I heard the sound of kids inside. The door opened, and a young man stood there.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
My heart pounded. I knew he was my son. I stared at him, speechless.
“Is your mom home?” Laney asked.
“She’s sick. If you want to talk to her, you’ll have to come back another day. I need to take my brother and sister to school, so we’ve got to go. Come on, you two, or you’ll be late.”
He turned around and picked up a baby no older than a year. The baby laughed and kissed Ryan’s cheek as she squeezed his cheeks.
“Hey, no pinching,” Ryan said, tossing the child gently in the air and making her giggle. He glanced at us. “Well, we have to go. Goodbye.”
I took Laney’s hand and guided her back to the truck. As Ryan and the little ones walked toward the school, Laney turned to me. Tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly. I knew exactly how she felt. My own eyes were stinging. My son was beautiful—not because he looked like me, but because the kids clearly adored him.
“I love him,” Laney whispered.
“Me too,” I said softly.
“What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’ll tell him I’m his dad and see how he takes it.” I looked at her, nerves tightening in my chest. “I’m nervous.”
“You don’t have to be. Ryan won’t be angry. You didn’t know he existed. This is going to be exciting. This is a chance for you to know your son.”
Thirty minutes later, we were talking when Ryan returned with the two youngest children. He approached us, his expression guarded.
“My mom isn’t feeling well. She’s not up for visitors,” he said.
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you,” I said. “I’m just going to be honest. I only found out an hour ago that you’re my son. If I’d known back then, I would’ve taken you with me when I was eighteen.”
Ryan’s eyes widened. “Are you saying you’re my dad?”
“That’s what I’ve been told. And we look a lot alike.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know who told you that, but my father died overseas before I was born. His name was Gideon Archer.”
“My name is Gideon Archer,” I said gently.
Ryan’s face went pale. “She lied. I can’t believe I ever trusted her. I should’ve known she was nothing but a liar and a drunk.”
He turned abruptly and walked into the house. We followed him inside and heard him speaking angrily.
“You lied to me! You told me my father was dead. Why would you lie about that? I’m your son. You didn’t even raise me, so why lie?”
“Who told you Gideon was alive?” a woman’s voice slurred.
“He’s standing in our living room.”
A few moments later, a disheveled woman entered the room. Her eyes widened in shock.
“Gideon. Fuck, what are you doing here?”
“I heard you’ve been telling people we’re still married and that I have a son. Why didn’t you ever tell me about him?”
“Gideon, when I tricked you into marrying me, you were just a kid. I never got a divorce. Look at you now—you’re so handsome, not a boy anymore.”
“Brenda, my grandfather had our marriage annulled. I’m here to see my son. You should have told me about him.”
“Your grandfather yelled at me for taking advantage of you, and then you went off to college. I figured you were too young to raise a child.”
I turned to Ryan, who was now sitting with Laney. She held the baby in her arms, while the other child sat close to Ryan on the sofa.
“Who’s she?” Brenda sneered.
“This is Laney. She’s my wife. Stop telling people we’re married.”
I watched Ryan smile at something Laney said. I walked over and sat next to her. She turned to me with a soft smile.
“I’ve been talking to Ryan about fishing,” she said. “He grew up fishing on the river where his grandparents lived. He finished high school online so he could take care of his younger siblings. He’s an incredible brother. Those kids are lucky to have him.”
I looked at Ryan. “I’d like to spend some time with you—get to know you.”
“I can’t just leave. The kids need me here.”
“I want to be part of your life. How about we stay nearby, and you and the kids can spend time with us? I’ll come back this weekend unless work calls me away,” I offered.
“What do you do?” he asked.
“I’m a former Army Special Forces officer. Now, my team and I run a high-security rescue business. We protect people and sometimes go overseas to rescue those who are missing.”
“That sounds dangerous,” Ryan said.
“It is,” Laney chimed in. “It terrifies me every time he leaves.”
Ryan nodded. “I’ve thought about joining the service. I’d want to be a pilot. But I can’t leave my siblings. They need me.”
“The Special Forces have pilots, medics—everything. They’re the best at what they do. Sorry,” I added with a grin, “I’m proud of what I did.”
“So, is it okay if we spend time together next weekend?” I asked.
Ryan smiled. “I’d like that. If I’d known you were alive, I would’ve found you. Let’s exchange numbers.”
He handed me his phone, and we swapped contact information.